The British government has taken a huge step forward by introducing a law that will require tech platforms to provide the personal data of children whose deaths are suspected to be related to the use of social media.
On the final day of parliamentary proceedings for the online safety bill, the government accepted an amendment supported by a group of grieving parents that will grant investigating judges the power to compel cooperation in the investigation of child deaths.
The amendment was introduced by Beeban Kidron, a Member of Parliament and founder of the charitable organization 5rights, which advocates for children’s safety on the internet.
While social media platforms sometimes voluntarily share information with forensic investigators looking into deaths, the legal powers to compel the disclosure of such data are limited.
As a result, parents trying to uncover the circumstances that led to the death of their children can face radically different experiences. It is not uncommon to come across news stories explaining how a TikTok viral challenge has claimed the life of a child in Massachusetts.
In the government’s petition, the case of Molly is mentioned, a mother who took five years to obtain information from Instagram during the investigation into the death of her son. Molly had seen a significant amount of content related to suicide, depression, self-harm, and anxiety on the platform before her son took his own life at the age of 14.
Some major tech platforms have “digital legacy” features that allow families of deceased users to access their accounts. However, these features are rarely suitable for children who die suddenly and without a will.
This is a further step towards seeking justice where it is often lacking.
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